Day 15: 3 August - moored at Atherstone

We're still moored at Atherstone in the same peaceful place overlooking reeds and a wheat field.  It's been quite busy, with a procession of boats passing us travelling up and down the flight of locks and we've seen a few familiar ones from our home base at Mercia Marina. There are 11 locks altogether in the flight, with good gaps in between. where it's possible to moor up.

Boating requires regular rest days as well as cruising - although the 1 mile walk into town to shop and visit the laundrette doesn't fully qualify as 'rest' it is a change, so as good as.

Atherstone is a characterful small town, with a history of hat making going back several hundred years.  It's also famous for the annual (and rather brutal, we've seen the YouTubes!) mediaeval Ball Game, which is played in the centre of town and which necessitates all the shop fronts to be boarded up.

The path from the canal into town
The town centre. Many vacant shops sadly, like many places - nevertheless it has a unique atmosphere

Sculpture marking the annual Ball Game

The listed railway station building, built 1847 in neo-Tudor style
Visitor information

Friendly Canal & River Trust volunteer - she's tidying up the flower beds as well as helping boats through the locks
The towpath passes under the busy A5

This boat owner is 'overplating' his wooden cabin with strips of pallet and then applying 6 coats of varnish to make them watertight. 
His decorative window frames are cut with a jigsaw
Resting on the way back from shopping. Sitting very gingerly, since we think the beam is the same one which was so rotten it broke off a lock gate abruptly when we were travelling up some years ago. Two fellow boaters sitting on it at the time fortunately came to no harm!

Dutch barge style narrowboat Wendover, recently sold at Mercia Marina, with her new owner.  He told us she's now getting much needed tlc
 
Such a clear light this evening
 
Dusk reflection

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